Last.



J. H. JONES.

' LAST.

APPLICATION FILED 11116.31, 190s.

Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

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JAMES HENRY JONES, OF SWAMPSCOTT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE MURRAY SHOE COMPANY, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACIIUSE'llrS.'l

LAST.

Specification of Letters Patent. Y

Patented April 13, 1909.

Application filed August 31, 1908. Serial No. 450,965.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES HENRY Jones, a citizen of the United States, residing at Swampscott, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented cerain new and useful Improvements in Lasts and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to lasts used in the manufacture of boots and shoes.

In the manufacture of boots and shoes the upper is lasted on a wooden last and is drawn and stretched tightly against the last and allowed to set; thus it is caused to assume the contour and shape of the last.

In the manufacture of the finer grades of shoes, it is desirable in order to secure the best results that the shoe, from the lasting to the finishing, including the attaching of the heel, be completed on the last over which the upper was lasted at the beginning, but owing to the enormous pressure used in attaching the heels, much difficulty has been encountered in producing a wooden last capable of withstanding this pressure, so that in many factories the wooden last is withdrawn during the heel attaching operation and the shoe supported upon a metallic last, and thereafter a follower is introduced to approximately support the upper of the shoe during the subsequent operations incident to its completion. This removal of the last is objectionable, for in order to secure the best results it is desirable that the shoe remain on the wooden last until the upper has been properly set to the conformation of the last, and its withdrawal and the subsequent insertion of a follower have a tendency to distort the upper. The wooden lasts as heretofore constructed are not strong enough, however, to sustain this great pressure employed in attaching the heel, and therefore many attempts have been made to strengthen the heel end of the wooden lasts so that they shall be capable of use during the heeling operation.

The object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a last having a reinforced heel portion so constructed as to prevent the crushing of the last during the heeling operation.

To the above ends the present invention consists of alast provided with a spindle socket having an integral rearwardly extending reinforcing brace and means extending transversely of the last for supporting the lower end of the brace, all as will'be heroinafter set orth and claimed.

The present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l shows my improved last in side elevation. thereof. Fig. 3 shows a vertical sectional view taken on the line A-l, in Fig. l. Fig. 4 illustrates a modification of the invention.

Similar reference characters will be employed throughout the specification and drawings to designate corresponding parts.

T' he last l may be of any usual or preferred construction and is made as usual of maple or some other suitable wood or other fibrous material.

At the heel end of the last and 'extending downward from the cone 2, there is formed a recess 3, which, as shown in the plan view in Fig. 2, will -be substantially key-hole shaped in cross section, and, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the cylindrical part 4 of the recess 3 will preferably be nearer to the bottom ol" the last than the wedge-sha ed oortion 5.

Within the recess 3 is 'tted a metallic casting 6 of a shape in cross section corresponding to the sectional shape of the recess and comprising the substantially cylindrical spindle socket portion 7 having the spindle socket 8 and t e rearwardly projecting inte rally formed reinforcing brace 9.

have discovered that the pressure incident to the ap lication of the heel to the boot or shoe is loca ized to a greater or less degree at that part of the last to the rear of the spindle socket, and the brace 9, therefore,

will extend rearwardly from the spindle socket to a point closely adjacent the back of the last, as shown in Figs. l and 2, and to insure against the crushing of the last I have devised means to support the reinforcing brace and to distribute the strains applied thereto across the thicker part of the last near the bottom of the heel, and to this end the last will be provided with a transversely extending bore l() arranged to receive a coniparatively large and strong bolt l1, which may be held in the bore l() in any suitable manner, as by heading the ends l2 against the washers 13 seated in recesses 14.

The reinforcing brace 9 at its lower end Fig. 2 shows a top plan view I IOS llO

will be provided with a semi-circular notch or seat l5 designed to rest upon the bolt 1l. Ii desired, the recesses 14 which receive the heads of' the bolt niay be filled with any suitable plastic compound.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4, the reinforcing brace 9 will be provided near `its upper end with a slight projection 16, the inner lower edge of which will be provided with a se1ni-circular notch 1 7, arranged to engage a bolt 18 inserted transversely through the last. Thus the brace 9 will be supported not only at its lower edge, but near its upper edge by the bolt 18.

It will be noted that in the use ol' my iniproved last all the pressure to the rear of the spindle socket 8 will be received and sustained by the reinforcing brace 9, which in turn will be supported by the bolt l1 seated i strongly in the wide and substantial part ol' the last near the bottoln of the heel. Thus the liability of breaking and `crushing the last during the heeling operation is Aentirely obviated.

Having described niy invention I claim as new and desire t'o protect by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. A last rovided at the heel portion with a cor'nbinedP socket and integrally formed sustaining brace extending in the shape of a wedge toward the back of the last and downwith a notch at its lower end and a bolt Y extending transversely through the last beneath the sustaining brace and seat-ed i-n said notch, substantially as described.

8. A last provided at the heel portion with a combined socket 4and integrally 'formed sustaining brace extending 'downward from the cone oi' the last at point near the bottoni thereof, a sustaining brace provided with a notch at its lower end, a bolt extending transversely through the last beneath the sustaining brace and seated in said notch, said braceV also having a rearwardly extending projection near its upper end notched at its under side anda rivet or bolt 'engaging the notch in the projection, substantially as described.

in .testimony whereof l aflix niy signature, in presence oi' two witnesses.

JAMES HENRY J SNES. lilitnesses v J. l/VARREN MURRAY, HORACE W. MURRAY.

It is hereby certified that Letters Patent No. 918,162, granted April 13, 1909, upon the application of James Henry Jones, of Swampscott, Massachusetts, for an improvement in Lasts, were erroneously issued to The Murray Shoe Company, as

owner of the entire interest in said invention, whereas said Letters Patent should have been issued to the inventor, James Henry Jones and The Murray Shoe Company,

jointly, said company being the assignee of one-half interest only in said patent, as shown by the record of assignment in this office; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oice.

signed and Sealed this-25th day of May, A. D., 1909.

[SEAL] C. C. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

